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Friends often ask me, how did I get my kids to eat such a wide variety of foods? I think the answer is part luck, part genetics, and partly because I am a mean mum who makes them try foods that they THINK they despise until one day they actually request it.

Another path to adventurous eating is letting kids in the kitchen. My gals have been cooking and baking since they could stand on a stool at the bench and hold a wooden spoon. Sure it often ends in a huge mess but believe me when I tell you the results are worth it. Miss 11 makes THE best prawn dumplings from scratch, while Miss9’s scrambled eggs are better than mine.

I stopped eating meat half a lifetime ago and have always fed Misses 9 and 11 a wide variety of veggies. As soon as I started Miss 11 on solids as baby I was always adding peas to her apples to get her used to different tastes and textures. It hasn’t always worked out: Miss 11 despises my fav fruit (bananas) but Miss 9, who used to almost cry if a mushroom was spotted in the same time zone as her, actually requested and ate a mushroom pizza two days ago.

When my gals have friends over the first snack they get offered is hummus and carrot and celery sticks. Vegetarian or not, eating more plant-based foods is cheaper, healthier and better for the environment.

My friends at Nestle Healthy Active Kids want kids to eat more fresh, healthy food. They sent me a box of fresh produce to inspire my family 🙂 They know that kids who help grow their food are more likely to eat it. To help schools sing from the healthy eating songbook they are giving away a mobile Kitchen Kart. Worth $25,000 it is a fully-equipped, mobile teaching kitchen to help teachers show students about healthy eating.

Parents and teachers can nominate a school to win by visiting www.healthyactivekids.com.au and explaining in 50 words or less how your school can encourage a healthier generation of kids. Competition is open until 11.59pm on Friday September 1, 2017 for Australian residents.

This recipe for easy vegetarian kale and two cheese ravioli was all Miss 11’s doing, from concept to cooking. She even made her own pasta from scratch which tasted incredible and is fine for a lazy Sunday afternoon but not that practical for a mid-week dinner.

GATHER:

1 packet fresh lasagne sheets

Filling:

One bunch of kale

300 grams baby spinach leaves

350 grams smooth ricotta

200 grams finely grated parmesan

1 garlic clove, minced

Black pepper

Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste

Sauce:

1 bottle passata

1 large leek, white part only, finely shopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Dried Italian herbs

LET’S GET TO IT:

Sauce:

Heat medium-sized fry pan over a medium heat then add a generous glug of olive oil. Fry garlic and leek together in oil until pale and soft, then add in half a bottle of passata, two teaspoons of dried Italian herbs and season to taste. Simmer for 20 mins, then set aside.

Filling:

Finely chop a bunch of kale, removing the tough inner vein. Place into a large metal mixing bowl with all the remaining ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.

Assembly:

Using a ravioli cutter cut pasta sheet into 5cm x 5cm. Dip finger into small bowl of water and dab around edges of pasta. Place half a teaspoon of filling into centre of pasta square then pinch tightly to close. Place on a baking-paper lined tray. Continue until all pasta is used up.

Bring large pot of water to the boil then gently place in water and boil for 4 minutes in batches. Remove with slotted spoon and serve with sauce and extra parmesan cheese.

Pish posh, I would be quite surprised if you had a mean bone in your body, and I agree whole-heartedly about everything you said! That food cart is amazing! Unfortunately, I live in the US.

I love that your daughter made this!! That’s amazing and shows what can happen if you let the youngsters get in the kitchen and take a little (or a lot) of time with them. And those are hours spent and memories made that will last a lifetime. As will, hopefully, the eating habits!